digging around the pool

Here's the plan

The pool I'm working on has water around the shell.
I have to empty the pool for some extensive repairs but, all this water around will create a hydrostatic force and POP the pool out which I don't want.
So the plan is this :
Empty the pool about 1/4 , cut the deck (we're going to pour a new one)
about 2 feet away from the edge of the pool and remove the concrete.
Dig a hole next to the shell and install a pump to pump all this water away.
Question is if you dont have any water around the shell then there is no hydrostatic force to lift the pool up,that should work.
Drain some more water from the pool and dig around deeper.
Install french drains around the shell and under where the deck it's going to be.
Take care of some crack of the pool while at it.
I want to install these drains to take care of any future problems like overflowing the pool , leakage in between the coping and deck, cracked deck etc.I don't want water around the shell and under the deck
Next is tile replacement and some coping repairs.
Another question is what will it be the best material to backfill the pool?
Gravel, crushed stone,sand??
right now is a mixture of mud,sand and some gravel.
I personally like to put crushed stone down and above the drains that I'm going to install and in top about 1 foot or so and then gravel all the way to the top.
Next I have another question.I'm a heavy duty guy myself so I'm wondering if you can install some rebar from the beam of the pool towards the deck so it will lock them , this way there will be no sinking and level problems in between the pool coping and deck.
Also I want to install mesh and rebar in the deck too and pour a nice 5-6 inch slab.right now is 3-3 1/2 inch and is cracked everywhere.
I'm in chicago land area and it's cold here in the winter.
So this is my plan , and I just wanted some other guys to look at it and get some input before I proceed.
I appreciate any inputs/advice.
Thanks

Maybe to late on the reply.

Pumping the water from around the sounds good but if you are in the middle of the repair and a bad rain storm comes in and nocks out the power then you are in a heap of trouble. As you drain down the pool just drill 1/2" holes lower down in the walls and then a few in the shallow end and a few at the transition and a few in the deep end (only if you know the location of your plumbing lines). Using the pump around the pool wouldn't hurt either.

Make sure the french drains drain some where and not just sit under the pool deck.

For back-filling the pool use 3/4" washed stone around the pool and under the pool deck compacted in 8" lifts.

Do not tie the pool to the deck because if the deck moves it will crack the bond beam; then you will have a cracked pool and a sunken deck.

Hope this helps